For some people, retirement means golf shorts and grandkids. Not for Clarice Gallegos.

The 70-year-old is the co-founder and director of Focus Clubhouse, a membership organization offering support to people struggling with mental health issues. Based out of a tree-shaded cottage near the University of Louisiana’s Lafayette campus, the clubhouse is the only one of its kind in the state, and it recently received a significant financial boost that will insure its survival — at least for now.

Earlier this month, the Lafayette City Council approved $50,000 in funding for the nonprofit, which Gallegos hopes to put to various uses, from paying for training to achieve official accreditation from the clubhouse parent organization, Clubhouse International, to investing in a new location that can offer more services to members.

The money, Gallegos said, came just in time. She and her husband had been making many of the renovations to the clubhouse’s current location themselves and on their own dime, she said. “My dimes are gone.” she added.

Director Clarice Gallegos makes phone calls at her desk Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at Focus Clubhouse in Lafayette, La.

STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK

Meanwhile, the organization has grown, Gallegos said, especially since it moved to a more visible location on Johnston Street.

On a Monday afternoon, she fielded requests from potential new members.

“It sounds like this would be a good fit for you,” she told one woman over the phone, a referral from a former board member. Shortly after, a young man walked in, looking for mentorship and support after going through a divorce and adjusting to life on his own.

“This never used to happen,” Gallegos said of the walk-in prospect who just left the room. But now located on a well-traveled street with a big sign out front, she said more people are becoming aware of the clubhouse and its services.

Gallegos, whose son Brian suffers from mental illness and brought the clubhouse concept to her attention after seeing his life changed by becoming a member of a clubhouse in Miami, Fla., years ago, runs the house with a motherly sternness.

“It ain’t all peaches and cream around here,” she said. But seeing the positive impact the clubhouse approach made in her son’s life, she’s determined to keep going.

Brian Boswell checks on a pot of tea Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at Focus Clubhouse in Lafayette, La.

STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK

Unlike traditional outpatient facilities for those suffering from mental health issues, the clubhouse doesn’t have medical staff, and it doesn’t provide medication or offer therapy. Instead, it offers a support system and a structure that helps members navigate daily life and overcome some of the challenges mental illness can impose on it.

“It gives us a place to come when we have nowhere else to go,” said Katie Fletcher, a member of the clubhouse since October of last year.

A former teacher, Fletcher struggles with anxiety, which sometimes makes it difficult for her to complete ordinary tasks such as making phone calls or keeping appointments. At the clubhouse, the 54-year-old said, she’s surrounded by people who understand what she’s going through and who offer their support without judgment, such as going to important appointments with her.

“Here, we can be ourselves,” Fletcher said. “And if it’s a little crazy, that’s OK.” Keeping her appointments, something other members help her with, means staying on top of her medications, an integral part of helping her manage her symptoms.

The unusual nature of the clubhouse concept within the landscape of behavioral health services isn’t without its challenges, however. While members say they’ve seen great benefits from participating, finding funding to keep the organization running has been difficult.

“‘It does serve a purpose and there are people who receive great benefits from it,” said Brad Farmer, executive director of the Acadiana Area Human Services District, which provides some funding to the organization on a per-member basis.

Checklist of duties, reminders and other information is written on a dry erase board Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at Focus Clubhouse in Lafayette, La.

STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK

But, he points out, because the organization’s offerings don’t fit neatly into the reimbursement structures that usually fund behavioral health services — reimbursements from insurance companies or programs like Medicaid for specific services rendered to patients — finding consistent funding sources will be a struggle, Farmer predicted.

“You have to be able to pay your bills,” he said. “No margin, no mission.”

Gallegos’ determination, however, seems a match for the challenge. After reaching out to each City Council member’s office, calling the mayor-president numerous times, and attending several council meetings, she secured the $50,000 she needed to keep the organization going just a little bit longer.

“That’s gonna go quickly, but we can at least take a deep breath or two,” said Dawn Koch, a member who helps with administrative tasks and helps other members develop coping skills.

Koch, who lives with bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and PTSD, said the clubhouse has saved her life more than once.

Dawn Koch works on an art project Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at Focus Clubhouse in Lafayette, La.

STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK

“When I saw it working for me and others, I was all in,” said Koch, who joined the clubhouse right after its inception at the beginning of 2020. “It bridges the gap between the hospital and the community,” she said.

And Gallegos has big dreams for the clubhouse. One day, she hopes there will be clubhouses in every major city in the state. For now, she’s planning to build a new facility on two pieces of adjudicated property she purchased in town, a development that she hopes will include at least four studio apartments to house members. Housing being one of their biggest needs.

And then there’s retirement. At 70 years old, Gallegos hopes to be able to take a step back from running the organization once her husband retires from working offshore. The two are planning to travel the country in an RV together.

“He’s done told me: That RV is going down the highway, with or without you,” Gallegos said, laughing. And while she’s not ready to take her hands off the steering wheel at the clubhouse just yet, Gallegos said when that day comes, she’s ready to hit the road with him.

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AVSC senior Alpine skier Stella Sherlock during a ski race.
Courtesy photo

As the 2022-23 winter season comes to an end, the Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club wants to congratulate and celebrate all of our graduating seniors. To recognize their careers and dedication to AVSC, we asked each of them a few questions about their time with the club and what lifelong values they will carry with them.

Below are some responses from our graduating Alpine athletes Noah Bindas, Turner Estock, Kenny McPhee, Stella Sherlock, Connor Stephens and Asher Weinberg.

Question: What is your favorite memory from your time at AVSC?

Noah: My favorite memory is forerunning the World Cup downhill and super-G courses this past March!

Turner: Traveling to the races with friends and coaches!

Kenny: I think my favorite memories are all from traveling with the team to new places.

Stella: I have been an athlete at AVSC for as long as I can remember, between bowling parties, bowl hikes, powder days, birthdays and races it is hard to select one memory. Something that really sticks with me, however, were our Zoom workouts during COVID. While nobody wanted to work out at home and would much rather be at the club, our coach, Erin put together workout plans and we would all join a Zoom to work out. I remember being on my porch jump roping air with my peers on my computer screen, which was just a funny experience.

Connor: Skiing to seventh place at U18 Nationals slalom in Mittersill, New Hampshire, while surrounded by my teammates and friends.

AVSC senior Alpine skier Asher Weinberg
Courtesy photo

AVSC senior Alpine skier Connor Stephens during a ski race.
Courtesy photo

Asher: My favorite memory from AVSC was from a summer camp trip at Mt. Hood. All the boys skied all morning, came back to the house, then went for a bike ride together after. 

Q: What skills has AVSC given you that you will carry with you in your next steps in life? 

Noah: AVSC has given me many life tools. They have reinforced hard work, dedication and commitment to my craft. No one is going to do it for you — get out there and chase it!

Turner: Skiing, time management, and pushing myself to learn new things.

Kenny: I think that AVSC has given me more skills than I could ever fit on one page, but the most significant would include self reliance, dealing with poor performance, and time management.

Stella: AVSC has helped me become an advocate for myself. I have learned to chase after the things I want and need and speak up for myself. I have learned what I need to do to perform to the best ability, whether in school, on the slopes, or in life in general. 

AVSC senior Alpine skier Kenny McPhee
Courtesy photo

AVSC senior Alpine skier Noah Bindas
Courtesy photo

AVSC senior Alpine skier Stella Sherlock
Courtesy photo

Connor: AVSC has helped me to become independent and resilient. Spending months traveling around the U.S. and experiencing the many highs and lows of ski racing has taught me how to take care of myself and overcome difficult situations.

Asher: AVSC has taught me the skill of having fun while staying focused at the task hand. Ski racing is very demanding and can be very frustrating at times. It’s important to make sure that you can have a laugh with some good friends even during rough times. My teammates and coaches at AVSC always know how to have a good time.

Q: What AVSC core value most resonates with you and why? (Commitment, Integrity, Teamwork)

Noah: Commitment resonates most with me. I’m not from here, the awesome Hendrickson family has taken me in and made this possible for me. I appreciate their commitment to me. That enabled me to be committed to my sport at AVSC. I left friends, family and school behind to train at the best place on Earth!

Turner: Teamwork!

Kenny: All of the core values are extremely important to me. However, I find that commitment resonates deeply with me because I think if you love something you should always try your hardest to get better.

Stella: Teamwork is an AVSC core value that resonates with me. While ski racing is an individual sport with a good team, it is so much easier to excel and make the most out of each and every race. Training, eating, living and sharing a passion with my team have made each and every step more exciting, fun, meaningful and fulfilling. 

Connor: I strongly believe in integrity and strive to bring it into my everyday life. Whether it be making the right decision or helping a teammate out, it is important to be honest and uphold one’s morals. Having integrity allows one to gain more out of skiing and life in general.

Q: What’s next for you?

Noah: In the next few years, I’m going to try and reach my skills while setting a course for the rest of my life. I plan on taking a gap year over the next season. I have been accepted at multiple colleges, just need to decide my path — furthering my skiing career or helping others do the same.

Turner: CU Boulder

Kenny: I am not completely sure what I’m doing next year. I might go to college, but I am also thinking about taking a gap year.

Stella: I will be taking a gap year to travel and pursue skiing farther. 

Connor: I will either be taking a gap year to further pursue skiing, or be attending Middelbury College in the fall.

Asher: I will be attending Montana State University next year. I will be independently ski racing, trying to find help where I can, pursuing downhill and super-G. I will also be in search for face shots whenever I can!

Q: If you could tell the community one thing about AVSC, what would it be?

Noah: AVSC encompasses amazingly dedicated people that are helping students not only reach their athletic goals, but grow in discipline, commitment and perseverance. AVSC deserves the support of the community and the school without fail.

Turner: It’s fantastic!

AVSC senior Alpine skier Turner Estock
Courtesy photo

Kenny: AVSC is the best program for kids to learn about skiing, as well as learn important life skills that will help them grow as people.

Stella: AVSC is a community within itself. It has a huge part in preserving our ski culture of Aspen and helps cultivate the love for skiing from a young age in addition to respect for the outdoors. The people I have met in and through AVSC are my closest friends and are relationships that I will have for the rest of my life. The AVSC community is a safe place that will always be there for me and I am so glad to have it as a part of my life.

Connor: I am grateful for the many opportunities and experiences AVSC has provided me and appreciate each and every dedicated staff member. Without ski racing, I would not be the same person I am today.

Asher: AVSC creates a community of friends who love to compete against/with each other. The staff and coaches are great and have made a big impact on my life by not only helping me become a much better skier, but a better individual ready to take on whatever may be thrown at me in the future. Shout out to all the coaches for making every day a great day!

Clubhouse Chronicles is a behind-the-scenes column written by the Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club that runs periodically in the Aspen Times sports section.  

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